SF/Fantasy Debut of the Month | January 2013

By the middle of the 21st century, advances in technology and robotics have displaced most humans from their jobs and caused unsustainable levels of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. Aiden Haven joins a group of colonists in search of a new planet on which to live. Their only possible choice, however, is barely habitable and populated by strange, hostile creatures. As the first generation of settlers addresses its physical problems, growing dissidence rises over clashing political and social philosophies. By the time Aiden’s daughter, Sarah, reaches young adulthood, the colony hovers on the edge of destruction. When Sarah makes a discovery that brings to light Nubis’s mysterious past, the colonists face a decision that could either save or doom their colony and their home planet. VERDICTRecalling a time when sf placed an emphasis on science and theoretical speculation, Harken’s thoughtful debut should appeal to fans of Ben Bova’s planetary series (Mars; Venus; Jupiter), Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy (Red Mars; Green Mars; Blue Mars), and James Blish’s classic Cities in Flight. [This title will be available for print distribution and ebook purchase beginning in January. See the author’s site for more information.—Ed.]